All Summer Long (Fool's Gold #9)(91)

Dominique rose and walked into the bedroom. Charlie hoped she wasn’t going to return with an inspirational book. Right now that was the last thing she needed. But instead of reading material, her mother returned with a small key chain.

“I have a very nice apartment with a view of Central Park,” Dominique said, handing over the keys. “I would suggest you go there and see for yourself.”

Charlie stared at her. “You’re sending me to New York?”

“Sometimes getting away is the best solution. You’ll have time to think without worrying about running into him. Or people looking sympathetic. I can tell you from personal experience that sympathy is the worst.”

Charlie wanted to say that her home was here, in Fool’s Gold. That her friends were here and her job. Except the idea of running had a certain appeal. There would be no explanations. She wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. She could curl up and lick her wounds. Gain strength. Then come home.

“I do have vacation time owed me,” she said slowly. Weeks of it, she thought. She’d always loved her job too much to bother with time off.

She reached out and took the key. “Thanks,” she said.

“You’re welcome. I’ll call and tell my doorman you’re coming. Now let’s go online and find you a flight. If you’re flying out of Sacramento, I’m not sure there’s a direct. Hmm, I’ll call the air-charter company May used.”

“Mom, I’m not taking a private plane to New York.”

“Let’s find out if they can do it. If not, they can fly you to San Francisco and then you can get a direct flight there.” Dominique touched her arm. “You’re my daughter. I love you. I want to take care of you.”

Charlie stood and pulled her close. Her tiny mother went easily into her arms. She was so small, Charlie had the sense she could crush her like a twig. Yet there was a strength in Dominique. Something Charlie had to hope she’d inherited.

* * *

“YOU DID IT,” Shane said, standing with Clay at the edge of the freshly planted fields.

“It wasn’t me,” Clay said. “Bernard and Ernie did all the work.”

“Is it just me or do they make you think of Bert and Ernie?”

Clay managed a chuckle. “Sometimes. Assuming Muppets age.” He studied the land that had been through so much. “Disaster averted.”

“I heard about the carousel,” Shane told him. “Going to take it?”

“I haven’t seen it yet. Maybe. I like the idea of it.” More important, Charlie had liked the idea of it.

Damn. She was in his head. He hadn’t realized that when he’d ended things. Not that it would have changed his mind, but he might have been a little more prepared. He thought about her constantly, missed her. Needed her.

“Rafe and I decided you have to eat all the casseroles made with tuna,” his brother told him.

Clay managed a chuckle. “Sure. That won’t bother me. I’ve eaten worse.”

“Evie’s looking better.”

“She’s up and around.”

Still not talking very much and avoiding their mother, but healing.

“Rafe still hasn’t told her he closed up her apartment,” Shane said.

“That’ll be an explosion.”

Shane drew in a breath. “You okay?”

There were other questions buried in the couple of words. And a simple answer.

“No.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“So I should let it go?”

“Uh-huh.”

Shane shoved his hands into his jeans front pockets. “Charlie’s special.”

“This is you letting it go?”

“I can’t do that. You miss her.”

“I’ll get over it.”

“I’m not so sure about that. You love her.”

Clay turned to his brother. “How do you know that?”

Shane shrugged. “I know you. And I’ve just been through the same thing myself. My mistake was thinking I couldn’t trust Annabelle to be the kind of woman I thought I needed. Turns out I was wrong. About her and about what was best for me. I think you’re making the same mistake.”

“No,” he said flatly. “You don’t understand. Your first marriage ended in divorce. The only reason I’m not with Diane is that she died. Otherwise, we’d still be together.”

“But she did die,” Shane reminded him. “Years ago. It’s time, bro. You can’t live in the past.”

“I don’t. That’s not what this is about. I don’t want to be with Charlie.”

“Why not?”

At that moment, Clay couldn’t think of a single reason.

“I thought you’d come around,” Shane told him. “I guess I was wrong. Her leaving was for the best.”

Clay stared at him. “Leaving? What are you talking about?”

“Charlie left yesterday. I thought you knew.”

Charlie gone? “Where?” She couldn’t leave. Fool’s Gold was her home. She belonged here.

His brother shrugged. “I don’t know. Annabelle didn’t say.” He drew his eyebrows together. “She’s sure as hell not going to tell you, so don’t bother asking.”